3-in-One Oil is a general-purpose

lubricating oil A lubricant (sometimes shortened to lube) is a substance that helps to reduce friction between surfaces in mutual contact, which ultimately reduces the heat generated when the surfaces move. It may also have the function of transmitting forces, t ...

sold for

household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is im ...

and

do-it-yourself "Do it yourself" ("DIY") is the method of building, modifying, or repairing things by oneself without the direct aid of professionals or certified experts. Academic research has described DIY as behaviors where "individuals use raw and semi ...

use. It was originally formulated in 1894 for use on

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

s, and remains a popular lubricant for their chains. Its name, given by inventor George W. Cole of New Jersey in 1894, reflects the product's triple ability to "clean, lubricate and protect". The product changed ownership many times throughout the 20th century and was bought by its current owners, the

WD-40 Company The WD-40 Company, originally the Rocket Chemical Company, is an American manufacturer of household and multi-use products, including its signature brand, WD-40, as well as 3-In-One Oil, Lava, Spot Shot, X-14, Carpet Fresh, GT85, 1001, Solvol, 2 ...

, in 1995. The current marketing slogan is "The Tool Kit In A Can," with the logo of the text "3 in" inside a large numeral "1". A few other products are now produced under the 3-in-1 brand, including a white

lithium grease Lithium soap is a soap consisting of a lithium salt of a fatty acid. Sodium-based and potassium-based soaps are used as cleaning agents in domestic and industrial applications, whereas lithium soaps are used as components of lithium grease (white ...

silicone A silicone or polysiloxane is a polymer made up of siloxane (−R2Si−O−SiR2−, where R = organic group). They are typically colorless oils or rubber-like substances. Silicones are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medicine, cooking ...

spray, and oil with added

PTFE Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene that has numerous applications. It is one of the best-known and widely applied PFAS. The commonly known brand name of PTFE-based composition is Teflon by Chemour ...

. In 2000, the can was redesigned to look like the early 20th century

oil can An oil can (oilcan or oiler)3 in One Polishes Pianos Perfectly
'' The Church Standard'', 13 April 1901 (from books.google.com, retrieved 15 April 2014) An advertisement found in ''Good Housekeeping'' (March 1930) suggests using 3 in 1 Oil as a furniture polish, by wringing out a water-soaked cloth and putting 3 in 1 Oil on it, wiping the dirt off the surface with the oiled cloth, then polishing the surface clean with a dry soft cloth.

References

External links

* {{official website, https://www.3inone.com/ Products introduced in 1894 Brand name materials Petroleum based lubricants